Pile hammer



May 22, 1951 JQ G. JOHNS 2,55%146 PILE HAMMER Filed Nov. 6, 1948 2Sheets-Sheet 1 y v.f Fl'.

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, y E e5 I I l I I I I I I I Wad May 22, 195l J. G. JOHNS 2,554,146

` PILE Hmmm Filed Nov. e, 194e 2 sheets-sheet y2 I "F1-QE.

Patented May 22, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PILE HAMMER l Jesse G.Johns, Cut Bank, Mont. Application November 6, 194s, serial No. 58,633

This invention relates to fluid-operated piledriving hammers, and it hasfor its object to improve the construction and operation of hammers- ,iof this class.

`It is also an object of the invention to expedite the sinking of a pileand to prevent injury to the Y latter while it is being driven.

shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Figure 4 is a section online 4-4 of Fig. 3. Figure 5 is a side elevation of the hammer shown inFig. 1 as viewed from the left in the latter figure.

Figure 6 is a section on lines 6-6 of Figs. 1 and 5. Figure 7illustrates one means for supplying iiuid under pressure to the hammer.g Figure 8 illustrates an alternative means for supplying fluid underpressure to the hammer. y Herein I have embodied my improvements in asteam-operated pile hammer comprising a body consisting of threecylinder sections I, 2 and 3 (Figs. 1 and 5) disposed end to end 4andrigidly held in their assembled relationship as usual by four tie rods 4occupying registering apertures formed through the cylinder sections.Each tie rod 4 is provided at its lower end with an elongate head `5 andthese four heads provide a cage for the usual anvil block 6. Theupperends of the tie rods 4 are threaded to receive nuts I by which' Vthecylinder sections are clamped together.

Fixed to one side of the intermediate cylinder section 2 is the usualvalve 8 whose inlet is connected as usual by a conduit 9 including aflexible hose (not shown) with a source of steam under pressure. In thisconduit 9 is provided a throttle valve I0 (Fig. '7) that is manuallyoperated to control the supply of steam to valve 8 thereby to start,stop and regulate the action of the ram (not shown), of the hammer, saidram being mounted within the main cylinder sections I,A 2 and 3 andcooperating as usual, with the anvil block 6 through which the force ofits blows is transmitted to the pile that is indicated by broken linesat P in Fig.,5.

An eye II provided upon the top cylinder sec- 4 Claims. (C1. (i1-76)tion I serves as an anchorage for one end of the cable of a crane bywhich the hammer is raised, lowered and moved about.

The above described construction is old and well known. Pile-drivinghammers of that type which is devoid of means for axially alining theram With the vertical medial plane of the pile while the ram isoperating are characterized by the objection that the blows of thehammer would often be delivered obliquely against the top of the pile,with the result that the full force of the hammer was not utilized andthe glancing blows imposed upon the pile not only resulted in seriousdamage and disfiguration to the top of the pile but would also beaccompanied by dislocation and injury to certain woodwork that iscommonly erected alongside of the position occupied by the pile.

My Vinvention obviates these objectionable features and it contemplatesthe provision of a pair of opposed pile-gripping and hammer-aliningmembers I2, I2 (Figs. 1, 5 and 6) each of which is pivotally supportedbetween the heads 5 of a pair of tie rods 4 by means of Ia pintle I3whose axis is disposed at right angles to the axis of the hammer so thatsaid members are adjustable toward and from the pile that is indicatedby broken lines at P in Fig. 5.

The inner pile-engaging faces of the pile-gripping members I2 are madestraight and disposed so that when said two members are forciblyadjusted into positions against the opposite faces of pile P, asindicated by broken lines in Fig. 5, the hammer is forced into aposition where the axis of the ram is in alinement and parallel with thepile. I

Each pile-gripping member I2 is an angular lever that is pivotallysupported intermediate its ends by its pintle I3 thereby providing thesame with an upwardly extending outwardly inclined arrn I4 formed uponits opposite sides with longitudinal grooves I5 (Figs. 4 and 5).

Each arm I4 is embraced by a yoke member I6 that is provided interiorlywith a pair of studs I'I which project into the grooves I5 of the arm tocooperate with the inner sides of the flanges I8 thereof which borderthe grooves I5, the opposite sides of said iiangesbeing straight andrelatively parallel as shown in Fig. 5. Each yoke member I 6 is alsoprovided interiorly with an anti-friction roller I9 to cooperate withthe proximate side of its arm I4 as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

Each yoke member I6 is slidably associated with a vertical guidebar 26fastened by screws 2I (Fig. 3) to the lower cylinder section 3 so thatit is a fixed part thereof.

proximate side of cylinder section 3, said cylinder 24 being brazed orwelded to a pair of angles 25 which in turn are secured by screws to thecylinder sectioni3.

Communicating with the upperiend of the interior of each cylinder 21, isa port 26 (Fig. 3) and these ports of the two cylinders are connected bypipe sections 2l and 28 and two elbows, one of the latter being athree-way elbow that is also connected by a pipe section z'withconduit9.

While throttle valve Il! (Fig. 7) is 'closed each piston head 23 is heldat the limit of its upward movement by a coiled spring 30 (Fig. 3)disposed within the cylinderof; saidpiston, the lower end Aofsaid springbeing seated upona shoulder provided at the lower end of the cylinder.Whenthe throttle valve Iis opened to start the operation .of theramsomeof thesteam .under pressure .moving through conduit 9 towardvalve.' 8 is diverted through pipesections 29, 28 and 21 to the upperends or cylindersll Whose pistons and 'yokes are immediatelyxthrustdownwardly thereby causing said yokesto swing arms I4 (Fig.

. 5) aparton pintles4 i3 and forcing the .two pilegripping members intovpositions against the opposite laces of the. pile P thus bringing theaxis .of the ram of the hammer into edgewise alinement with thev pile Pwhere it is rigidly held'during the operation of the ram. kWhen thethrottle ill (Fig. 7) -is closed to stopthe operation of the hammer thesprings 38 within cylinders* 20re- .turn their pistons and yokes .totheir uppermost positionsagain thereby shifting the arms Illl (Fig.

5) ,toward each other, and swinging gripping '..members i2 apartv tofree the .hammer'from the pileP. VDuring the upstrokes of the pistons `3the upper ends, of their cylinders are vented through a constrictedportof valve4 8 which latter is constructed as usual.

In'FigfS of the drawings the pipe sections- 21 and 28 are connected by aconduit 3 Ijdirectlywith the source of steam under pressure and ingthisconduitis arranged a supplemental throttle Valve ma for controllingthepistons 23 and this throttle. llajcan4 be .opened before the mainthrottle l() .is opened thereby to close members l2 (Fig) against thepile before the ram is started.

The lconstruction illustrated in Fig. 'l is also operable to close thegripping members l2 against the pile P before the ram is started whichfact is probably duetoA the greatweight and inertia of the'lattenwhilethe construction illustratedA in nEig. 8` provides for independentcontrol of the ram and pistons.

While I haveherein shown the gripping members I2 asparticularlyconstructed'for-application tosheet steelpiles, itwill be understoodthat the said members may beformed to handle Ywooden and other typesofpiles.

'What I claim is: l. In a pile driving Yhammer of the character"described, the combination with the cylinder and anvil thereof, of apair ofpile-gripping andham- Vmer-aligning membersfsupported byl saidcylin- `edera adjacentJ to said' anvil for pivotal movement on axes thatare perpendicular to theaxis of said cylinder and disposed at oppositesides of said cylinder axis; fluid-operatedmechanismen said cylinder forswinging said members on said axes into and out of clutching engagementwith the opposite sides of the pile that is to'be driven; a conduitconnecting-said fluid-operated mechanism with a source of fluid underpressure,V and a manually controlled throttle valve in said conduit,said members serving while held in engagement with the pile by saidmechanism to hold said anvil inv-position. upon .the top ofthe same withthe axis of Ithe cylinder parallel and in alignment with the pile.

2. In a pile driving hammer, the combination of claim l wherein saidfluid-operated mechanism comprises a pair of supplemental cylindersdisposed'at opposite sides of said main cylinder and acts toswingitsmember Von itspivotal support into and out of engagementwith the pile,and

spring means yieldingly maintaining eachpiston normally. at the limitlof its movement toward said 'inlet port with its pile-grippingmemberoccupying a position at, the limit oi. its movement away from theothergripping member.

3. In apile driving hammer, the combination of claim 1 wherein saidfluid-operated mechanism comprises a pair of supplemental cylindersdisposed one at each side of said main cylinder and each provided withaninlet port at one end thereof that is connected with said conduit; twopistons each one of which is mounted within one of said cylinders; twoyokes slidably Amounted upon said main cylinder atoppositesides'thereofeach one of which is connected with one of said members and also rigidlyconnected with one of said pistons so that it moves with'the latterthere- 'by to swing its member into and out ofiengagement. with .thepile, and spring means yieldingly maintaining each yoke andA its pistonnormally at the limit of their movement in one direction where. theyhold their gripping member at the limit of its movement away from-theother grip- Drlemember.

4. In a pile driving hammer of the character described, the combinationwith the main cylinder, its anvil, and itsvalve forcontrolling'the-admission of iiuid under pressure tosaid main cylinder,of a pair of'pile-gripping and hammeraligning members supported-bysaid-main cylinder adjacent to said anvil for. pivotal -movement on axesthat are perpendicular to'the axis of said cylinder and disposed atopposite sides of said 'axis; fluid-operated mechanism on said cylinder-for swinging said'gripping members on said axes into-and out ofclutchingfengagement with the opposite sides of the pilethat is to beydriven; a

source of fluid under pressure; a conduit connecting said'valvewith-said source; a throttle v alve in said conduit; aconduit-connecting said huid-operated mechanism with said sourceindependently of said first-mentioned conduit, and a `throttle valvein-saidlast-mentioned conduit, said j'gripping members serving while inengagement with'thepile to hold said anvil iny position--upon the' topof said'pilewith the-axis of 'said main cylinder parallel and inalignment with the pile.

JESSE G. JOHNS.

'REFERENCES CITED 'Ihe following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

'UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

